SB SPACE @ ARL $ARLS006
ARLS006 RS-16 Satellite In Orbit

ZCZC AS06
QST de W1AW
Space Bulletin 006  ARLS006
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington, CT  March 5, 1997
To all radio amateurs

SB SPACE ARL ARLS006
ARLS006 RS-16 Satellite In Orbit

According to sources at AMSAT, a new Russian Amateur Radio
satellite, designated RS-16, has been launched from the Svobodny
Cosmodrome as part of a Zeya satellite package.  RS-16 reportedly
has an average orbital altitude of 276 miles, producing a footprint
some 2000 miles in diameter on Earth.

On March 4, 1997, 1614 UTC, Jim White, WD0E, reported hearing strong
signals from the RS-16 CW beacon on 29.408 MHz.  Others in the US
and Europe have reported strong signals on 10 meters.  The
transponders are not yet active.  The twice-delayed launch had been
expected as early as December.  RS-16 is expected to be a Mode A (2
meters up/10 meters down) satellite, like RS-10 and RS-15.  It's the
first Russian satellite to have a 70-cm beacon, but the beacon there
is not yet operational.  Beacon frequencies are 29.408, 29.451,
435.504 and 435.548 MHz.

When the transponders are operational, the RS-16 frequencies are
expected to be: uplink, 145.915 to 145.948 MHz, downlink, 29.415 to
29.448 MHz.  Orbital elements and additional information will be
announced as they become available.
NNNN
/EX